Philippines One year since Maguindanao massacre
To secure an election victory, a local Filipino political leader on November 23 2009, had murdered at least 56 people, including journalists, lawyers and relatives of his alleged opponent. Among them was the lawyer Connie Brizuela. At an Amnesty International meeting on 24 November 2010 this was commemorated. L4L spoke about the impunity with regards […]
Iran Five more lawyers arrested by authorities
On Saturday 13 November 2010, Iranian lawyers Sara Sabaghian, Maryam Kiyan Ersi and Maryam Karbasi were arrested. Several Iranian websites report that security service agents arrested them on the Tehran airport when their plane from Antalya (Turkey) had just landed. Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi confirmed the arrests and stated that the three lawyers were arrested […]
Iran Shadi Sadr receives another human rights prize
On 11 November 2010, Iranian lawyer Shadi Sadr received the Alexander Law Prize at the Californian Santa Clara University. This annual prize is awarded to lawyers who “have used their legal careers to help alleviate injustice and inequity.” The jury praised Sadr for her ceaseless dedication, courage and self-sacrifice. Earlier this year, she received the […]
Syria Lawyer Mustafa Ismail convicted to 2.5 years
Syrian lawyer Mustafa Ismail, who was arrested on 12 December 2009, was convicted to a 7 year prison sentence on 7 November 2010. Fortunately, the sentence was reduced to 2.5 years on the basis of articles 267 and 278 of the Syrian Penal Code. Still, Ismail should not have been convicted at all, for the […]
Iran Lawyer Seifzadeh sentenced to nine years
On 30 October 2010, the court in Tehran convicted the Iranian lawyer Mohammad Seifzadeh to nine years imprisonment. He was also prohibited to practice law for the duration of ten years. As lawyer, Seifzadah stood by many victims of human rights violations. The indictment, however, revolves around the establishment of the Defenders of Human Rights […]
Syria Muhanad al-Hassani beaten in prison
On 28 October 2010, Muhanad al-Hassani, the Syrian lawyer who was recently honored for his work as a human rights lawyer with the Martin Ennals Award and the Amsterdam Dean’s Award, was attacked by a cell mate. It caused a cut in his forehead that required 10 stitches, and the swelling of his right eye […]
Kyrgyzstan Tahir Asanov attacked in courtroom
Kyrgyz lawyer Tahir Asanov was attacked and punched several times in court on 30 September 2010 whilst calling for an investigation into police brutality against his client and nine other men during their trial in Osh, in the southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic. The charges against these men range from involvement in the death […]
Philippines Two years after IVFFM, L4L finally speaks to Saladero
When L4L took part in the International Verification and Fact Finding Mission in the Philippines in 2008, two mission members wanted to visit lawyer Remigio ‘Ming’ Saladero, who was in prison. A storm made the visit impossible at the time, but fortunately, L4L finally spoke to him recently, two years later, in Amsterdam. Saladero is […]
Iran L4L speaks with Mohammad Mostafaei who fled to Norway
The Iranian Human Rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei was given political asylum in Norway. Recently, he was in Amsterdam. He would like European lawyers to support their Iranian colleagues in human rights cases. “In Iran it’s important to save other people. I saved 18 children and 19 adults from the death penalty and 13 women from […]
Iran Condition Nasrin Sotoudeh seriously deteriorating
Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, for whom L4L organized a letter writing campaign in the summer of 2010, has been on a hunger strike since 29 September 2010. In addition, she has stopped drinking water since 31 October, to protest against her arbitrary detention since 4 September 2010 and her maltreatment in the Evin […]
Syria Amsterdam Dean’s Award presented to Al-Hassani
On Thursday 21 October 2010, the Amsterdam Dean’s Award was presented to Muhanad al-Hassani. This Syrian human rights lawyer was sentenced to three years in prison by a court in Damascus on 23 June 2010 convicting him of conveying information that weakens national sentiment and conveying false news about Syria abroad. He was also disbarred […]
Syria First anniversary of Haitham Al-Maleh’s detention
Haitham al-Maleh, the 80-year-old human rights lawyer who was convicted to three years in prison on 7 July 2010, was in detention for exactly one year on 14 October 2010. Two days before, it was announced that he is to receive the annual Alkamara Award for human rights defenders. The award will be presented on […]
Iran Reputatie zelfs voor Iraanse autoriteiten belangrijk
Op vrijdag 24 september sprak de Iraanse advocate Shadi Sadr op uitnodiging van L4L op het jaarcongres van de Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten in Rotterdam. Ze legde uit waarom zij en sommige van haar collega’s niet meer naar hun vaderland kunnen terugkeren. Als advocaat spanden ze zich in om politieke gevangenen, ter dood veroordeelde minderjarigen […]
Syria MEA 2010 for Al-Hassani: ‘A man of an exceptional courage, arbitrarily detained’
Muhanad al-Hassani, the Syrian lawyer who was sentenced to 3 years in prison in the spring of 2010, will be awarded the most important human rights prize, the Martin Ennals Award, on 15 October 2010. The son of the imprisoned Haitham al-Maleh, the 80-year-old Syrian lawyer of Al-Hassani, will receive the prize on Al-Hassani’s behalf […]
Colombia Manifestation against CAJAR for complaint Uribe
Several prominent Colombian politicians organized a manifestation against lawyers collective José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR) on 1 September 2010. This collective was to lodge a complaint against former President Uribe on 2 September 2010. During the manifestation, the action of CAJAR was depicted as supportive of rebel organization FARC and the collective was denounced as terroristic. […]
Iran Authorities arrest human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
On 4 September 2010 another human rights lawyer was arrested in Iran. Nasrin Sotoudeh is the lawyer of – among others – the Iranian-Dutch human rights activist Zahra Bahrami, who recently turned out to have been detained in an Iranian prison over the last few months. Whether Sotoudeh’s arrest is linked to the Bahrami case […]
